How Vala got her skates
by whytejigsaw
Summary: Set mid-season 10 featuring all the team. Spoilers for "Hathor" and one minor spoiler for "Unending". Disclaimer: I own none of it - just wish I did!


Sam, Teal'c and Vala are in the commissary, eating lunch.

Sam looked at her watch.

"Oh, wow, is that the time? I need to get my skates on if I'm gonna be on time for my meeting in R&D! See you later." She rushed off.

Vala looked at Teal'c.

"I've heard that before. What are skates and how do they aid Sam in this matter?"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. He loved being the one to explain human customs to Vala. He'd been the alien for so long; it was good to have a newbie alien around!

"Vala Mal Doran, have you not seen "Starlight Express?"

"Indeed, I have not. What is it?" said Vala, intrigued.

"It is a musical – a form of Earth entertainment where humans sing, seemingly spontaneously, and dance to tell a fictional story."

"How does this explain skates?"

"Follow me."

Teal'c led Vala to his quarters and opened a large cupboard. Inside sat rows upon rows of DVDs. He scanned through them and pulled out Starlight Express. He held it out to Vala.

"The humans perform on special shoes with small wheels called roller skates. I believe they are also a popular children's toy."

Vala grinned delightedly.

* * *

Daniel walked into his office carrying some Ori books. He was surprised to see Vala sitting at his laptop, starting intently at the screen. Seeing him, she shut the laptop down immediately.

"Vala, you have your own computer. And your own workspace, you know!"

"I know, darling, but I feel so much more at home in yours. And besides, I needed your wallet."

"What? Why?" Daniel blustered. "Have you been using my credit card again?"

"Yes, but just once and it's for a good cause." Vala began to gather up what looked like personnel files. Some fell on the floor and Daniel, ever the gentleman, rushed over to help. He couldn't help noticing that they were in fact SG-1's personnel files!

"Hey, you're not meant to be reading those!"

"I know, Daniel, you've been holding out on me! I thought you were a good boy and here I discover that you nearly seeded a new race of Goa'uld with Hathor – that slut! Continuing before Daniel could get a word in; "Anyway, I'm putting them back now."

"What were you doing with them in the first place?" said Daniel, blushing and not even trying to defend himself, for once.

"Oh, nothing!" she replied mysteriously. She turned to leave and then looked back over her shoulder and gave a little flirtatious wave. Daniel shook his head and made a mental note to change his password again, and his credit card again.

* * *

Mitchell, Teal'c and Daniel were in the men's locker room about to change into civvies. Mitchell opened his locker.

"What the hell are these?" he cried, holding up a pair of roller skates. Daniel and Teal'c quickly discovered similar presents in their own lockers, all in the right sizes!

"I believe they are from Vala Mal Doran. She was recently introduced to skates and seemed very excited," said Teal'c in what passed for his amused tone.

"Ok. But why have we got them?" Daniel put his head in his hands as he realised that this was why she had used his credit card.

The door banged open. Vala rolled in wearing a fitted check shirt, denim hotpants and, of course, purple sparkly skates. Her hair was in trademark pigtails.

"Well, aren't you just as cute as button?" said Mitchell.

"Thank you, darling, I know! Aren't the skates fantastic? Oh, Sam! They haven't put theirs on yet!" she said with a pout.

Sam appeared in the doorway sporting a pink pair of skates.

Teal'c continued to look amused.

"Et tu, Brutus?" said Daniel.

"What?" Sam affected her most innocent look. "I thought it would be fun."

"I am not going skatings," said Daniel, folding his arms decisively across his chest.

"Yes, you are, Jackson." Everyone looked at Mitchell, who seemed almost surprised himself that he was agreeing to this madness.

"We'll call it team-building!" he said, bending down to put his own on. Teal'c followed suit.

"Goody!" cried Vala and sped out the door. "Sam and I will be up in the car park when you boys are ready."

Daniel grumpily started to put his skates on. In an effort to placate him, Teal'c said; "Perhaps now would be a good time to introduce Vala Mal Doran to hockey." Daniel grinned as he stood up and promptly fell over his skates.


End file.
